The best solution, of course, would be to somehow convince today’s overworked, overscheduled families that it’s worthwhile, doable, and wise to prepare home-cooked meals. That option is not only healthier than fast food, it costs much less than eating out as well.

For now anyway, the battleground is over marketing grease and sodium to kids, and the red-haired clown is in the crosshairs. Here are a few of the thoughts on the meaning of Ronald McDonald, from various sides of the battle:

“He’s positioned to be someone that kids can look up to”
— Cheryl Berman, who worked in an ad agency that sculpted Ronald McDonald’s image, quoted in the WSJ

“Ronald McDonald is a big fat liability to a company which lures children into eating too much big fat food … It’s like having Joe Camel teach children that they can smoke if only they don’t inhale.”
— John Banzhaf, a public interest lawyer who has filed suits to battle smoking and obesity

“Ronald McDonald is clearly not in an economic position to retire just yet, since his only source of income is working at McDonald’s in a clown suit. And if he retires, I will have to pay for his health care, and by all appearances he has some sort of horrifying foot condition.”
— The Washington Post’s Alexandra Petri

“It’s very fake, the whole, like, all his commercials, where he’s jumping up and down, where he’s always happy. You know that no one’s always happy. It’s silly … His whole image is all 1970s and he’s all peppy and his clothes are all baggy.”
— An 11-year-old girl from New York City, quoted in the WSJ